You may recognize Antje Utgaard from movies like Inside Man or The Charisma Killers. Or you could be one of her 2.1 million Instagram followers. Either way, you know that the actress, model, and TV host is stunning and has a gravity-defying body. How does she keep herself physically fit at 30? Here is everything you need to know about her diet, fitness, and self-care approach.
She Exercises For 30 Minutes Per Day
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Antje makes sure to move daily, but “Every day is different!” she told Women Fitness about her approach to exercise. “That’s my favorite part about my life. It keeps it interesting and keeps me on my feet. Some things I do keep in my everyday routine are my workouts. I make sure I hit the gym or do some type of physical activity every day, even if it’s just for 30 minutes.”
Strength Training
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Strength training is Antje’s go-to workout. “I lift weights 4 or 5 days a week. I focus on one or two muscle groups at a time and make sure to alternate them so they have time to recover throughout the week,” she says. “I lift for about an hour.” According to the Mayo Clinic, strength and weight training help reduce body fat, preserve and increase lean muscle mass, and burn calories more efficiently. Strength training may also help you:
- Develop strong bones
- Manage your weight
- Enhance your quality of life
- Manage chronic conditions
- Sharpen your thinking skills
Walking on an Incline and Running Intervals
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Antje gets a lot of use out of the treadmill. “Before I lift I warm up by walking at an incline for 5-10 minutes,” she says. “And I always end my workout with running in intervals for 5-10 minutes.” Walking on an incline burns more calories than walking fast or even running on a flat surface, so many experts suggest upping your incline. A 2013 study even found that walking on a 2 to 7 percent incline increased heart rate by almost 10 percent compared to running on a flat surface.
SoulCycle
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Another workout she loves? Cycling. “I also Soul Cycle 3 times a week, which is my new obsession,” she revealed. The Cleveland Clinic explains that biking, a low-impact aerobic exercise, is excellent for building muscle, improving strength and flexibility, and improving balance. It can also boost mental health and help other health conditions, including arthritis.
A "Laid Back" Diet and Hydration
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“My diet is pretty laid back. If I have something big coming up I’ll obviously be more strict on myself but it’s also hard when you have my lifestyle and travel a lot. I try to eat as healthy as I can on a regular basis though. I always make sure to eat a lot of protein, mainly chicken and other lean meats. I also make sure to drink plenty of water!” she told Women Fitness. Why should you focus your meals around protein? According to clinical trials, consuming more protein than the recommended dietary allowance not only reduces body weight (BW), but also enhances body composition by decreasing fat mass while preserving fat-free mass (FFM) in both low-calorie and standard-calorie diets.